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The induction of the enzyme activities involved in butane metabolism in Pseudomonas butanovora was characterized. P. butanovora was grown on butane or its metabolites, both singly and in mixtures with other growth substrates. Cells grown in each of the butane metabolites readily consumed the growth substrate and downstream metabolites, but consumed the upstream butane metabolites more slowly. Upstream activities in the butane metabolism could be induced by downstream metabolites, but to much lower levels than with the primary substrate. The induction of butane oxidation was not repressed when P. butanovora was grown or incubated in a mixture of butane and 1-butanol, butyraldehyde or butyrate. However, no induction of butane consumption was observed in a mixture of butane and lactate, which is indicative of catabolite repression. In lactate-grown cells that were rid of the growth substrate and incubated with butane and acetylene (to inactivate newly formed butane monooxygenase), the consumption of butane, 1-butanol and butyraldehyde consumption was not induced. The overall results suggest an independent regulatory mechanism for each of the enzyme activities in butane metabolism. In addition, a low, constitutive butane oxidation was observed in cells grown on substrates other than butane metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]